House and Senate appropriators have agreed to boost highway spending to a record level in fiscal 2008 and have added $1 billion for deficient bridges across the country, plus $195 million to replace the Minneapolis bridge that collapsed in August. However, a presidential veto of the spending bill is likely.

A Nov. 8 House-Senate conference agreement on 2008 transportation appropriations sets the highway obligation ceiling at $40.2 billion, up 3% from 2007. Conferees also added $1 billion for bridges above that obligation limit and $195 million to construct a new Interstate-35W bridge in Minneapolis.